A Highland Park Legacy Home With Multigenerational Capacity

When you purchase a Highland Park legacy home, you’re not just getting a house — you’re also getting a story. Writing about these homes is a labor of love for me because the research is fascinating, and it reveals just how connected we are.

Highland Park and University Park were built by the best and brightest developers and architects. Driving around the Park Cities, we see places like Armstrong Parkway and Flippen, Prather, Caruth, and Exall Parks. Those were named in honor of the insightful men who developed the Park Cities, “the suburban ideal.” If you can find a copy of Great American Suburbs: The Homes of the Park Cities, Dallas, written by Virginia Savage McAlester, Willis C. Winters, and Prudence Mackintosh, you should get it. You will learn more about these neighborhoods and the importance of their original homes than you could imagine. You won’t be able to put the book down.

The original houses of the Park Cities were built to be legacy homes. It was commonplace for them to be passed down. They were purposely large, as they were often multi-generational. When I started to research this particular 1928 Highland Park legacy home at 4225 Beverly Dr., I found that it at one time belonged to various members of the Skillern family. You might remember Skillern’s Drug Stores. The family-run Dallas chain of 145 stores was sold in 1980 and eventually rebranded in 1997 as CVS. Another fun fact is that Nancy Skillern Pugin married architect Anton Korn’s son Andreas in this home!

Of course, times change, and families are spread far and wide now, which presents opportunities to own a classic Highland Park legacy home like this one. Located on a rare double lot, it was completely reimagined in 2017 by Nickey Oates. He preserved architectural details, gave the facade and interiors a facelift, updated all of the mechanical systems, and added a whole-house generator and water filtration system.

With 10,612 square feet, five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and three half baths, this Highland Park legacy home continues to offer the multi-generational accommodation we value today and plenty of room for entertainment.

“You could live in the house forever because the primary is down, and the layout is brilliant,” Allie Beth Allman & Associates Realtor KJ Murphy said. “At a party, guests always tend to gravitate toward your foyer or your kitchen. As you enter this home, you have wide hallways with wood floors, and at both ends are entertainment areas. There are French doors across the back of the house that open to the pool. You could host 300 people here and still feel a sense of intimacy.”

With summer around the corner, you’ll find all the outdoor necessities to make it bearable, from the pool and spa with a fountain feature to the outdoor kitchen and grilling area. There is even a mosquito misting system. And a pet washing station with a half bath is conveniently located near the kitchen and pool, because you know the dogs are going to be in and out of that pool!

Location matters even in Highland Park. This home is zoned to Bradfield Elementary and is within walking distance of both Highland Park Village and the Dallas Country Club.

“I don’t know what else you would want in a home,” Murphy said. “It’s elegant and luxurious, but you feel comfortable. Luxury and family don’t usually go hand in hand, but they certainly do here.”

KJ Murphy with Allie Beth Allman & Associates has this Highland Park legacy home at 4225 Beverly Dr. available for $12.75 million.